Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting radiation damage in an area of brain tissues, where the area of brain tissues has at least a first region containing brain tissues damaged from radiation exposure and a second region containing no brain tissues damaged from radiation exposure. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of illuminating in vivo the area of brain tissues with a coherent light at an incident wavelength, &lgr;0, between 330 nm and 360 nm, collecting electromagnetic emission returned from the illuminated brain tissues, and identifying a first peak of intensity of the collected electromagnetic emission at a first wavelength, &lgr;1, and a second peak of intensity of the collected electromagnetic emission at a second wavelength, &lgr;2, wherein &lgr;0, &lgr;1, and &lgr;2 satisfy the following relationship of &lgr;1>&lgr;2>&lgr;0.